Black Actors I (might) want to work with

1. Nate Parker

Nate Parker was born on November 18, 1979 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Birth of a Nation (2016), Arbitrage (2012) and Non-Stop (2014). He has been married to Sarah DiSanto since 2007. They have four children.

2. Zoe Saldana

Actress | Avatar

Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they would live for ...

duh.

3. Zawe Ashton

Actress | Velvet Buzzsaw

Zawe Ashton is an actor, writer and director.

Her role as Vod in Channel 4's "Fresh Meat" won her a cult following, and the diversity of her work across television, film, and stage has attracted numerous accolades and awards.

Most recently, Zawe starred on Broadway in the critically acclaimed revival...

4. Michael B. Jordan

Actor | Black Panther

Michael B. Jordan, the middle of three children, was born in Santa Ana, California and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He is the son of Donna (Davis), a high school counselor, and Michael A. Jordan. His middle name, Bakari, means "noble promise" in Swahili. (He is not related to, or named after, ...

5. DeWanda Wise

Actress | Jurassic World Dominion

In film, television, and theater, DeWanda Wise has established herself as one of the industry's most consistently critically acclaimed artists.

Of her work as Kayla Watts in Jurassic World Dominion, she's been nearly universally considered a standout of the sixth installment with critics noting her ...

6. Ellie Foumbi

Writer | Mon père, le diable

Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Ellie's work often explores pressing social-political issues within the African diaspora, aiming to shine a light on marginalized populations whose voices are seldom heard or included. Drawing from her experience as an actress, she crafts flawed complex characters who ...

7. Aïssa Maïga

Actress | Les poupées russes

Aïssa Maïga is a Senegalsese actress working in France. She was born in Dakar, Senegal, in 1975 to a Senegalese-Gambian mother and Malian father, an acclaimed journalist. She moved with her family to France when she was 4. She discovered her vocation as an actress in middle school, and won various ...

8. Nicole Beharie

Actress | 42

Nicole Beharie is an American actress.

Her critically acclaimed film debut was in the film American Violet (2008) alongside Alfre Woodard, Tim Blake Nelson and Will Patton. Beharie also played Ernie Davis' girlfriend in the movie The Express (2008). Her upcoming projects include My Last Day Without ...

9. Adepero Oduye

Actress | 12 Years a Slave

Adepero Oduye hails from Brooklyn, New York City by way of Nigeria. She is a graduate of Cornell University; and has studied acting with Wynn Handman, Austin Pendleton, and Susan Batson. Her name is pronounced "Add-eh-pair-o Oh-due-yay."

Her theatre credits include Danai Gurira's play Eclipsed, at ...

10. Dola Rashad

Actress | Sex and the City 2

Dola Rashad was born on December 11, 1986 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Sex and the City 2 (2010), Money Monster (2016) and Billions (2016).

11. Rob Brown

Actor | Finding Forrester

Rob Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York. A natural who never studied acting and who had no professional acting experience, made his acting and motion picture debut in Finding Forrester (2000). Rob celebrated his 16th birthday just before the start of production. He is a ...

12. John Boyega

Actor | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

John Boyega is a British actor, known for playing Finn in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role of Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), before attaining international recognition for his work ...

13. Jay Pharoah

Actor | Saturday Night Live

Jay Pharoah was born on October 14, 1987 in Chesapeake, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Unsane (2018) and White Famous (2017).

14. Chiwetel Ejiofor

Actor | 12 Years a Slave

English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things...

15. Rutina Wesley

Actress | True Blood

Rutina Wesley is known for the character Tara Thorton, on the gritty Southern vampire drama, True Blood (2008). She was born in the city most renowned for glitz and glamour, Las Vegas, Nevada and was exposed to the arts at a very early age; in fact entertainment runs through her veins. Her father, ...

16. Sanaa Lathan

Actress | AVP: Alien vs. Predator

Sanaa Lathan is an actor, director, producer, and activist, well-known for starring in such hit films as LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE BEST MAN and BEST MAN HOLIDAY, BROWN SUGAR, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, and NAPPILY EVER AFTER.

She recently made her feature directorial debut for Paramount Pictures' ON THE COME ...

17. Jesse Williams

Actor | The Cabin in the Woods

Jesse Wesley Williams born August 5, 1981 is a former high school teacher and activist turned actor/director. He's best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC Television series Grey's Anatomy and his advocacy for the disenfranchised, highlighted by his internationally resonant ...

18. Jurnee Smollett

Actress | The Burial

Jurnee Smollett is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. In the fall of 2020, she starred in J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele and Misha Green's critically acclaimed drama for HBO, "Lovecraft Country." Smollett's performance was lauded by industry insiders and critics alike. ...

19. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

Actor | Candyman

Nathan was brought up in Wandsworth, London, He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, which he graduated from in 2006. He made his professional stage debut playing a number of roles in 'Brixton Stories' at the Lyric, Hammersmith and has also appeared on stage in 'The History Boys' at ...

20. Amber Riley

Actress | Glee

Amber Riley was born on February 15, 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Glee (2009), The Wiz Live! (2015) and Glee: Director's Cut Pilot Episode (2009).

21. Evan Ross

Actor | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Evan Ross was born on August 26, 1988 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) and ATL (2006). He has been married to Ashlee Simpson since August 30, 2014. They have two children.

22. Kevin Phillips

Actor | Notorious

Kevin Phillips is known for Notorious (2009), Blood and Bone (2009) and The Harder They Fall (2021).

23. Edi Gathegi

Actor | StartUp

Edi Gathegi was born on March 10, 1979 in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an actor and producer, known for StartUp (2016), Princess of the Row (2019) and For All Mankind (2019).

24. Nelsan Ellis

Actor | Get on Up

Nelsan Ellis was an award-winning American film and television actor and playwright, perhaps best known as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood (2008).

Nelsan was born on November 30, 1977, in Harvey, Illinois, the son of Jackie Ellis and Tommie Lee Thompson. Following his parents' divorce, Ellis ...

25. Sinqua Walls

Actor | Shark Night 3D

Originally from Louisiana, Sinqua moved to Los Angeles with his Family and Attended Beverly Hills High School. He is a Graduate of the University of San Francisco arts program where he studied Theater and Film. He is also of French, and Native American Descent. When not acting, Sinqua is a ...

Really like him. Needs to be in a leading role. + that he's man sized.

26. Yara Shahidi

Actress | Salt

Yara Shahidi was born on February 10, 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Salt (2010), Black-ish (2014) and Grown-ish (2018).

Young but had great range in BUTTER.

27. Dayo Okeniyi

Actor | Dark Matter

Dayo Okeniyi (Pronounced: Die-o Okay-nii-yii) began performing on the stage in elementary school. In 2003, Okeniyi, the youngest of five siblings, moved from Nigeria with his family to the The United States. His father, now a retired customs officer and mother, a British literature teacher, were ...

28. Yaya DaCosta

Actress | The Butler

Yaya DaCosta was born and raised in New York City along with her sister and two brothers. She got her first acting gig at the age of eleven when her junior high school drama teacher, Ann Willis Ratray, encouraged her to audition for educational films. She continued to perform in school shows ...

29. Rose Rollins

Actress | The L Word

Rose Rollins was raised in Yonkers, New York, growing up with five brothers. She is an accomplished actress who has garnered attention on both the big and small screens.

Rollins now stars in ABC's The Catch opposite Mireille Enos. The series centers on a gutsy female forensic accountant who exposes ...

30. Chyna Layne

Actress | Precious

Raised in Jamaica, Queens and East New York, Brooklyn the rising star is commonly referred to as a young Diahann Carroll. Born to a Jamaican father and Filipina mother, this JamaicanAsian sensation breaks all of the rules and pursues acting strictly for the love and art.

A professional actor since ...

Usually comedic.

31. Annie Ilonzeh

Actress | Peppermint

Annie Ilonzeh was born on August 23, 1983 in Grapevine, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Peppermint (2018), Person of Interest (2011) and He's Just Not That Into You (2009).

maybe: haven't seen enough of her to know for sure.

32. Freema Agyeman

Actress | Doctor Who

Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is known for playing Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2007-2010), Alesha Phillips in crime procedural drama Law & Order: UK (2009-2011), Amanita Caplan in the Netflix science fiction drama Sense8 (2015-2018), and Dr. Helen Sharpe in ...

Again, not sure I've seen enough of her to judge her acting abilities accurately but really like her look.

33. Joy Bryant

Actress | Bobby

Joy Bryant was born in a modest home in The Bronx, New York and as a young woman, was enrolled in an inner-city outreach organization called "A Better Chance," designed to encourage minority talent. Joy was also blessed with brains as well beauty and remained an excellent student throughout her ...

34. Naomie Harris

Actress | Moonlight

British actress Naomie Harris was born in London, England, the only child of television scriptwriter Lisselle Kayla. Her father is from Trinidad and her mother is from Jamaica. They separated before she was born, and Harris was raised by her mother and has no relationship with her father. She ...

imo one of the top 5 young actresses working right now. She's amazing.

35. Antonia Thomas

Actress | The Good Doctor

Antonia Thomas is an English actress. She is best known for her work in the TV series Misfits, Lovesick and the The Good Doctor.

She studied for a Bachelor of Arts in acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2009, and then joined the National Youth Theatre.

Her acting debut was in ...

The Brits are beasting.

36. Dana Davis

Actress | Prom Night

Dana Davis was born on October 4, 1978 in Davenport, Iowa, USA. She is an actress, known for Prom Night (2008), Raise Your Voice (2004) and 10 Things I Hate About You (2009).

curious to see more...

37. Megalyn Echikunwoke

Actress | Night School

Ebubennem Megalyn Ann Echikunwoke was born May 28, in Spokane, Washington. Her father was Nigerian and her mother is of English and Scots-Irish descent. Her last name, "Echikunwoke", means "leader of men" and Megalyn is the granddaughter of a Nigerian tribal leader of the Igbo, which technically ...

She's been around for a while but I don't feel like she's ever been given a role that forces her to stretch herself (like most black actresses are typically not challenged in this way)

38. Evan Ross